{
  "id": 7353526,
  "title": "17 Of 20 NCP MPs Will Join BJP Soon, Claims Rebel MP Jagadish Basunia; BJP And Leaders Deny Defection Rumours",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/17-of-20-ncp-mps-will-join-bjp-soon-claims-rebel-mp-jagadish-basunia",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T15:37:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/17-of-20-ncp-mps-will-join-bjp-soon-claims-rebel-mp-jagadish-basunia-bjp-and-leaders-deny-defection-rumours"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kolkata: In a recent statement, Rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Jagadish Chandra Basunia has claimed that 17 out of 20 NCPI MPs will soon defect to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). During a media interaction, Basunia stated that all the MPs have planned to defect collectively so that they remain secure from any disqualification under the anti-defection law. Basunia mentioned, \"17 MPs will directly join the BJP. Three MPs from the minority community, Abu Taher Khan, Khalilur Rahaman, and Yusuf Pathan, would lend their support to the NDA from outside, and they would be allotted significant portfolios.\" Every discussion took place under the radar of senior BJP leaders, as per Basunia.\n\nHowever, Abu Taher Khan, one of the three minority community MPs, dismissed Basunia's remarks, stating that the decision hasn't been communicated to him. Khan strongly denied any intention to join the BJP or support the NDA, emphasizing, \"We haven’t informed Basunia about our future course of action. It is his personal comment. We three MPs have loudly said that neither we will join BJP nor support NDA. We can meet the Prime Minister if there is any meeting for the sake of the common people otherwise not.\"\n\nThis claim by Basunia comes in the wake of his recent face-off with his TMC supporters upon returning to his ancestral home in Sitai, Cooch Behar. The Delhi High Court had dismissed a plea from the manufacturer of Vimal Elaichi to halt FDA notices issued to brand ambassadors. Meanwhile, the BJP camp has categorically rejected Basunia's claim. Samik Bhattacharya, the West Bengal BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP, virtually ruled out any such move. He remarked, \"We cannot forget what happened to our workers after the 2021 elections. Perhaps they are talking about the BJP on Mars because the BJP here doesn’t have any policy of admitting anyone simply because they wanted to join.\"",
  "summary": "Kolkata: Rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia on Monday had claimed that 17 out of 20 NCPI MPs will soon join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Talking to the media, Basunia said that all the MPs had planned to defect together so that they are not disqualified under the anti-defection law. Three MPs To Support NDA From Outside, Says Basunia “17 MPs will directly join the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}